The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-08
MEADOWS AND swAMPs.

MEADOWS AND sWAMPs.
Cultivation Necessary to Bring Then Iaso
. Tillabls State.
There are vast tracts Of meadow
lands in nearly every section of the
country, which, with q little cultiva-
ton could be brought into tillable
state. The lowlands ON farms are
sma ! meadows, or, at least, the condi-
ton of the soil is the same as found in
meadow bottoms. Every farmer knows
that the great difficulty in cultivating
such lands arises from the abundance
of water which at all seasons of the
year saturates the soil. But by judi
cious system of drainage this difficulty
can easily be overcome, and the land
converted into good grass-6elds. pro-
ducing An abundance of this profitable
crop. The second year after the land
is drained. the grass should not be
moved of. but the whole field burned
over as clean as possible. The ashes
left on the top soil will enrich 1t with
the ingredients of plant food that are
most needed, and the coarse stalks of
the meadow grass will be destroyed.
If the land is then turned over with
the pillow, and timothy-seed sown. the
soil will be in fair way to produce
paying crops Of hay in a short time.
The timothy-seed should be sown quite
thick. six quarts to the acre. the farmer
going back and forth several times, in
order to plant it in every nook and
crevice.
When the meadow is a swamp. full
Of large and small trees. the work Of
retaining it is more difficult. After
thetrees and bushes have been cut
down, and the brushwood burned. the
labor of cleaning the land has just be-
gun. The stumps and roots Of trees
are the most difficult distractions that
you have to encounter. The larger
stumps are easily blown out by dyna-
mite. or extracted with strong stump
pullers, but the long roots and under
ground branches which run and twist
in every conceivable direction will be
the most aggravating. The land is toe
rough to use pillow, and it would be
impossible to 60 over the field and dig
out all distractions with some SHARP
implement The best plan is to con.
struct q rude instrument out of an old
tree. which can be done with but little
cost and labor. Take an old crotch Of
n tree. half q foot in diameter, with
each prong five or six feet in length
Nail Cross piece to the two ends o.
the crotch, and insert strong iron teetf
all along the two prongs of the crotch
taking care not to place them too Close
together. nor putting any in tho cross
piece. If teeth are placed in the cross
piece they will be liable to catch and
cling to the rough roots, and cause con
siderable extra labor, and even breal
the rude harrow. To make the rude
instrument more effective, it would bt
well to bend strong oak or hickory
bow across the hind ends of the har
row, SO that the instrument could b<
lifted over large Instructions. or press
ed deeper into the soil when occasion
required. If this instrument is drawn
across the field, backward and for
ward, very few of tho deep roots viii
escape the sharp teeth, which will Gu
them in two. and bring them nearer I,
the surface.
When the field has been narrowed
sufficiently. the stones and roots that
have been thrown up should be carriet
off the field and the whole cleaned VI
as neatly as possible. Large roots tina
have been brought to the surface bu
not broken by the teeth of the harrow
owing to their size, should be cut II
two by an axe or somo other sharp i'm
plement. Small stumps that escapee
your eye at first will be brought 4
light, which must be extracted in som,
way before the harrow is put on tn,
land again. The teeth of the harrow
will need Strengthening by this time
and probably new ones put in. Har
rowing the field the second time vii
not be such difficult work rs the first
There will be less distractions to over
come, and the roots will all be fine
and easier broken by the teeth. Whel
finished repeat rs before-remove al
stones and sticks with the hands
Usually farmers have one or NOR
old plows on the place, which can BIZ
used very conveniently in turning owe
the top soil of the swamp land. The
work Of blowing must necessarily b.
very slow and laborious, and the wea
and tear on the instrument will be 8,
great that the plow will be of littl.
use when it is laid aside. The furrow
can not all be in a straight line; it wouls
be impossible to attempt to do that
and many 60 so far ~ to pillow an.
way, cross-wise, straight and angular
So long as the land is turned over. ant
the soil pulverized for several inche
or q foot down, the work is sufficient
Timothy seed scattered over thu
field thus worked will catch very well
The stalks will grow strong and hardy
and choke ont all weeds. The first yea
the yield will be quite large but i
would be unwise policy to put . ma
chine in the field. If any thing is t
be done with the grass, turn q few cat
tie into the lots and let them Craze Oh
it. If too many are not turned lose ir
the field. they will not rob the new
land of the plant life which the decom
posed grass is intended to form for it
and their hoofs will serve to cut up tn
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